Lorcan slammed the door to his cabin shut with a sound so deafening, it might have scared away all creatures in the night. The girl, who was she? She thought she could just waltz in there, stinking of river water and wearing a gown stained with mud. And why had she been so beautiful?
Lorcan paced in his cabin, muttering to himself in unintelligible words. The room around him was lit by a grand blaze in the fireplace, the tongues of the flames licking up the bricks alongside it and reaching out to warm the cool cabin. His otherwise warm hands were cold this night, though he didn't think it was due to the chilly temperature.
Could she be the one to lift the horrid curse bestowed upon him by the wretched enchantress? She must be; Lorcan hadn't ever felt admiration like he did for the girl just moments before. And not to mention that she had The Touch, something very few mortals ever receive. She had to be of nymph lineage, it was the only solution to her ability.
But, what a terrible introduction he had made! He knew how important first impressions were to those of the female variety, and here he had gone and messed it all up. How could he fix this issue he had created? How could he better himself now that an opportunity such as this had turned up?
Lorcan slammed a fist onto the desk in front of him. He could never win her over. Everyone involved with his circus depended on it, but alas, the girl could never grow to love him. Who could ever love a beast such as himself? He cringed at the thought of how he had treated her just moments before.
A slight knock sounded on the wooden door, signaling someone's arrival. Lorcan took a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves. However, his efforts were futile and he only advanced in levels of nervousness.
A small man entered the room and Lorcan instantly recognized him to be Maghnus. The man had gone against Lorcan's suggestion about not coloring his beard every shade of the rainbow. But Maghnus had said that since he was a clown, it was totally called for. Now, Lorcan had to admit, Maghnus looked quite humorous. It really did help with him being a clown.
"How is the girl?" Lorcan asked, trying to mask his admiration for the young woman.
Maghnus sighed and settled himself on a nearby cushion. "Her name is Keelia, and she is asleep."
"Good. She'll need all the strength she can muster for tomorrow and the days to come."
Maghnus cleared his throat. "Don't you think you were too hard on her? Threatening to feed her to the dragon?"
Lorcan scoffed, "Dragún wouldn't have harmed her. She is much too tame for that nonsense."
"And how was Keelia supposed to know that?" Maghnus pulled on his beard.
Lorcan had no response; Keelia wouldn't have been able to know that at all.
"You are nothing but a spoiled and unkind man," Maghnus stated. "Do you really think that by the end of the season, you'd break the curse acting the way you do?"
Lorcan frowned and straightened to his full height. "It's a lost cause. I am doomed, along with the rest of the performers. The season will be over and I will turn into a hideous monster with no conscience or consideration for others."
Maghnus sighed, "I believe that is what the enchantress saw you as before. She is only going to have your outside match your inside."
"You're a great help," Lorcan's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
Lorcan eyed his Ringmaster cane, the red rose on the very end was glowing a vibrant red that was magnificent. When the glass rose turned to black, his time as a handsome man would be over, and in his place would be a horrifying beast. A beast that no one could ever understand or even love.
"You will need to try and gain her trust," Maghnus announced. "And when I say try, I mean that you have to work extremely hard." He adjusted himself in his seat. "I will also suggest that you take time with befriending her. She just lost her family."
Lorcan's frown softened, the flames' reflection danced within his golden irises. He hadn't thought about what caused her to stumble across the circus. He really didn't know anything about her.
"But I only have a few months," Lorcan stated, rubbing a hand over his face.
Maghnus stood and smoothed out his beige shirt that was little bit too big for his small body. "Then I suggest that you be gentle about it and start off with sending men out to her home just outside Abbey Way and assist with what remains of her family." With that said, he left the cabin and a confused Lorcan behind.
Lorcan continued his pacing, contemplating on what to do next. He never actually tried to receive anyone's affections purposefully. He had always just expected that people were to adore him, cater to him, and be at his beck and call. He couldn't just expect her to adore him now that he threatened her life with Dragún consuming her.
There was a soft knock at the door, but Lorcan already knew who it was. Aibreann waltzed inside with an air of elegance and superiority. Lorcan found a seat in his grand chair and placed his face in his hands. Matters of the heart were far beyond his reach and all this thinking was causing his head to pound.
"Now, brother," she cooed as her hand rested upon his broad shoulder. "What is troubling you?"
"The performance will never be ready. Fiona and Nigellus haven't perfected the steps just yet."
Aibreann leaned in close, her cinnamon scent mixing with the night air around them. "We both know that is not what is worrying you. It is that girl, the one with The Touch."
"Keelia," Lorcan corrected.
"I doubt that she will ever look in your eyes again." She stepped back and turned to face the fire. "The rose has already begun to dim. Have you thought about using her to break the curse?"
Lorcan huffed, "Of course I have. I am no fool." He slouched in his seat, "I have no chance though. She'll never see through my horrible demeanor."
Aibreann rolled her eyes, if a gesture from such a woman could be called that, and went to stand in front of her brother. "Then you must help her see through it. You can't just sit and sulk there, hoping that fate will intervene and assist you."
"And how do I do that?"
Aibreann groaned, "First of all, you can stop slouching. You can smile, give her a courteous glance every once and a while. Compliment her constantly, but not too much. Impress her with your charm and witty nature. And most of all, you must control your temper."
Lorcan's face met the table. "That is easier said than done, my dear sister," he stated in a muffled voice.
She chuckled, "Ah yes, but the things that are hardest in life, are worth it the most." Aibreann sauntered over to the cabin door. "Don't get too stressed over this. When I woman sees a handsome man even attempting to be civil towards her, she'll eventually consider you tolerable."
Lorcan rubbed at the back of his neck. "Oh, before you leave, tell Titus and Liam to gather up some nymph and head out to an estate outside of Abbey Way. Keelia's family was viciously attacked and would most likely require assistance."
His sister nodded and smiled, "This is a good start, brother. If there is at least one thing that girl and I share, it's the love of family. Family means everything to us, and I'm sure she would do anything to keep them safe, just as I would for you."
Aibreann left the cabin while Lorcan was left to his thoughts. He'd have to change quite a lot if he was going to retain Keelia's affections. Surely it wouldn't be too hard.
***
The man rubbed at his thick mustache, thinking about his next move. He had already killed off the man of the house, his two oldest children and now had his wife in the basement. Her hands were bound with heavy rope and she was situated in a cage of iron surrounded by a ring of salt. He had been watching the gorgeous creature ever since he first laid eyes on her.
He walked over to his large oak desk and settled himself behind it. His fingers began ruffling through various papers within sight. They were notes detailed with his plans of murdering that Adams family. If he knew one thing about himself, it was that he was a determined and vicious man who always got what he wanted.
He leaned back in his chair after shoving his papers into his desk. He let out a sigh. It had been a long day, and burning that estate to the ground had been time consuming, but necessary in the end. If there was one thing he hated, it was loose ends. Leaving behind witnesses infuriated him, which was why he was so determined to find Keelia Adams. The one loose end that needed to be tied off.
Mrs. Adams would have to reveal where her youngest daughter was sooner or later, the man thought as he continued to stroke his mustache. She couldn't remain silent and take torture treatment after torture treatment forever. The elegant creature would have to expose where Keelia was eventually.
There was a slight knock at the door, causing the man to jolt from his sleepy haze.
"You may enter," his deep voice boomed.
The door opened to reveal a blonde man who looked as though he were only twenty five years old. The older gentleman scoffed at the sight. The young lad was probably trembling in his boots the entire time of the attack. However, what he could tell from personal experience, the first attack was all that was needed in order to crave the constant thrill of danger. Soon enough, the young man would make a mighty fine warrior.
"What is it?" the man demanded.
The blonde took a step forward. "Sir, the woman down in the cellar is causing an awful amount of noise. And not to mention, she is causing herself harm."
The man rubbed at his temples. "Drug her. Calm her down with songs, I don't give a damn. Just stop her from harming herself. I can't have a future bride of mind dead before I can marry her, can I?"
The blonde nodded and turned about to leave the study and closed the door on the way out. The older man leaned back in his chair once more and let his mind wander.
The man thought about the fortune he should have inherited, the money that had gone to his now dead brother. The wife he should have gotten that was currently in the basement, the glamorous life that he deserved but was handed over to his elder brother. The man didn't care for the ways things were inherited and passed down in the family. No, he was a greedy soul that demanded for all things resembling wealth and grand stature to be his own.
But, he had devised a plan to get the fortune that he believed was to be his. He knew exactly what had to be done. He had spent months planning for this, down to the very fine details. He had been so giddy the full day before the attack that he could have sworn her felt something as childish as butterflies in his stomach. Things were falling perfectly in place, save for one mistake made by his men, a mistake that could very well be taken care of and fixed in a timely manner.
First off, he'd have to find Keelia dead or alive.